Put Your Merry Where Your Mouth is

Hi Friends!
For those of you who follow this blog (all...7 of you) you may have noticed that I've been M.I.A. This is due in part to the fact that I've been working on the tree adoptions this season for The Living Christmas Company. It's a crazy job, but somebody has to do it, and who's crazier than me? Don't answer that. (I can see you out there...shaking your heads..."Nope, can't think of anyone...")
I do feel a little bad about cutting my "Christmas List" short, but what was I thinking? Maybe next year I'll write it up in...June. That could work. 
The other thing I did, which you may have seen on my Facebook page was to have a "Giving Get Together". Remember I said I wanted to? This is a great season to follow through on things. I know it's hard. Believe me, I've been typing like a nervous Marconi operator in a sinking ship. The emails flood in faster than I can answer them. Of course that may be because there's about 300 adoption customers and one of me, but I digress.  Honestly, I'm having a great time. I love seeing the names people have picked out for their trees, and sometimes they even tell me the story behind it.

The point is, that once in a while. you have to take a break. I chose to throw a party of sorts, and at the same time, I invited everyone to help make Christmas cards for our military. You might think, wow, I'm invited to go to a party and you want me to...what? I'll tell you what, whatever anyone thought coming to my house that day, they left with smiles on their faces. They started by telling me that they didn't have a creative bone in their body and by the end of the night they were picking up what they'd just made saying "Hey, this one's not bad!"  I mean seriously, how often do we (adults) get to do arts and crafts?
Now the kids...they don't worry about perfection. One little girl who came made about 10 cards I think. She went to town! The great thing is that when you get a homemade card, especially from a child, but even from an adult, you aren't thinking "Wow, I guess it's okay, but they colored outside the lines right there, and oh, there's a smudge of glue stick by the corner." No, you look at it and know that someone took the time to make something JUST FOR YOU. It was made from the heart...and was offered in hopes that it would touch yours.
So Friends, put your Merry were your mouth is. Make it your goal, even if it's just for one day, to make someone, somewhere, smile. Make a card for a soldier, call up a friend, donate to a food drive, or just be patient with the crazy elf on the phone...she's doing the best she can. 

Merry, Merry


Care'n Presents

Time to Smile!

Scotty Claus had called some of us elves together for a team meeting at The Workshop. Close to the end of the meeting an alarm on his cell phone rang. He smiled, looked at me and said "Smile!" I smiled and looked at him like ?????  He told me that was his smile alarm. Every day at 3:00 it reminds him to smile. I LOVE that. I need to do that. So on the Christmas List today...

Day 68 - Remind yourself to smile. The holidays (or everyday for some people) can be stressful. It's easy to get into a rut where you're just trying to survive. Believe me, life is way too short to just survive. We have to live. We have to smile. We have to laugh so hard it hurts sometimes. So set an alarm, or set aside a certain time of day, everyday...to just smile. Think of someone you love. Think of a happy memory. Think of a silly face. Just don't forget to smile.  :)

Scotty Claus and me!

Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents